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News-Herald Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Kleps doesn’t just write headlines and stories. He also checks on his fantasy sports teams. A lot. See if the moves and news from the world of sports affect your fantasy teams.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Fantasy football: Injury updates, start-and-sit advice, expanded playlist and more for Week 8

The Saturday injury roundup has become a weekly tradition -- think somewhere below "The Office" and "Modern Family" and a notch or two above the Derek Anderson sub-50 passer rating. Let's get to it:

-- Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, who is recovering from a concussion, is expected to be a game-time decision. The guess here is he'll sit, making rookie LeSean McCoy a decent No. 2 running back Sunday against the Giants, who have allowed 10 rushing touchdowns.

-- Another rookie runner, the Colts' Donald Brown, is doubtful with a shoulder injury. That should lead to more work for starter Joseph Addai. Chad Simpson is expected to serve as Addai's backup, but shouldn't be much of a fantasy factor.

-- Two of the game's best receivers, the Texans' Andre Johnson (lung contusion) and the Colts' Reggie Wayne (groin injury), are expected to play. Both practiced Friday.

-- The news isn't as promising for Lions wideout Calvin Johnson, who has battled a knee injury for the last few weeks. Coach Jim Schwartz told reporters he expected Johnson to play, but the receiver didn't sound so optimistic. It's expected to be a game-time decision, and if Johnson sits, Dennis Northcutt should be considered a low-end No. 3 receiver, especially in PPR leagues.

-- Cardinals wideout Anquan Boldin (ankle injury) and Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery (hamstring) are both listed as questionable, and both are expected to play.

-- Vikings receiver Bernard Berrian (hamstring) should be a game-time decision. If Berrian sits against the Packers, Percy Harvin's value as a No. 3 wideout increases.

Five to start

This week’s look at part-time starters and fantasy backups who should benefit from a favorable matchup:

-- David Garrard, QB, Jaguars, at Titans:
He’s on pace to throw for 3,904 yards and run for 373, but he isn’t a regular starter because of his poor TD total (five). Garrard should reach the end zone a couple times against the league’s worst pass defense. The Titans have yielded a league-high 19 TD tosses.

-- Matt Forte, RB, Bears, vs. Browns: He’s been one of fantasy’s biggest busts this season, one who can no longer be counted on every week. But you have to play Forte, who has rushed for only 318 yards with a norm of 3.5 yards per carry, against the Browns’ No. 31 run defense.

-- LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers, vs. Raiders: Speaking of busts, L.T. has 41 carries for 141 yards (3.4) in two games since the Chargers’ bye. I’d expect him to show some flashes of his old self (not his current old self) against the Raiders, who rank 30th vs. the run and have allowed 11 rushing TDs.

-- Torry Holt, WR, Jaguars, at Titans: He has 12 catches for 196 yards in his last two games, and he might even score for the first time all year vs. the aforementioned Titans pass defense.

-- Devin Hester, WR, Bears, vs. Browns:
He has 14 receptions for 184 yards and a TD in his last two games, and the Browns rank 24th vs. the pass.

More matchups I like:


Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills, vs. Panthers; LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles, vs. Giants; Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins, at Jets; Beanie Wells, RB, Cardinals, vs. Panthers; Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell, RBs, Saints, vs. Falcons; Sidney Rice, WR, Vikings, at Packers; Austin Collie, WR, Colts, vs. 49ers; Donnie Avery, WR, Rams, at Lions; Lee Evans, WR, Bills, vs. Texans

Three to sit

If you have a decent backup, these starters should take a seat for a week:

-- Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens, vs. Broncos: He’s thrown for 1,674 yards and 11 touchdowns while developing into a top-10 fantasy quarterback, but if you have a productive No. 2 QB, you should play him. The Broncos have twice as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes allowed (three), and they’ve sacked the opposing passer 21 times.

-- Donovan McNabb, QB, Eagles, vs. Giants:
He’s thrown only one TD pass in his last two games, and the Giants’ No. 2 pass defense is giving up just 165 yards through the air per contest.

-- Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Giants, at Eagles:
He has been playing with a cracked bone on the outside of his right foot, and it’s been evident in the last two games, during which Bradshaw has only 75 total yards. The Eagles are the league’s 11th-best run defense.

More matchups I don’t like:


Brett Favre, QB, Vikings, at Packers; Julius Jones, RB, Seahawks, at Cowboys; Jamal Lewis, RB, Browns, at Bears

Last week

All five members of the start list had at least one touchdown, led by surprising stud Miles Austin (six catches for 171 yards and two scores). Austin Collie (four receptions for 36 yards and a TD), Laurence Maroney (43 yards rushing, one TD) and Marshawn Lynch (40 yards rushing, one TD, one catch) were decent starts. Eli Manning (243 yards passing, one TD and three interceptions) was not.

The sit list had one miss in Brandon Jacobs (76 yards rushing, one TD and two catches for 11 yards) and two hits in Brett Favre (334 yards passing, but zero TDs and one pick) and Cadillac Williams (29 yards rushing and two catches for 28 yards).

Playlist

QUARTERBACKS
1. Drew Brees, Saints, vs. Falcons (No. 26 vs. the pass)
2. Peyton Manning, Colts, vs. 49ers (No. 21)
3. Jay Cutler, Bears, vs. Browns (No. 24)
4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers, vs. Vikings (No. 20)
5. Tony Romo, Cowboys, vs. Seahawks (tied for No. 16)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers, vs. Raiders (No. 12)
7. Kurt Warner, Cardinals, vs. Panthers (No. 1)
8. Matt Schaub, Texans, at Bills (No. 10)
9. Matt Ryan, Falcons, at Saints (No. 14)
10. Kyle Orton, Broncos, at Ravens (No. 23)
11. Eli Manning, Giants, at Eagles (No. 9)
12. Donovan McNabb, Eagles, vs. Giants (No. 2)
13. David Garrard, Jaguars, at Texans (No. 32)
14. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks, at Cowboys (No. 22)
15. Joe Flacco, Ravens, vs. Broncos (No. 8)
16. Brett Favre, Vikings, at Packers (No. 4)
17. Mark Sanchez, Jets, vs. Dolphins (No. 19)
18. Marc Bulger, Rams, at Lions (No. 30)
19. Matthew Stafford, Lions, vs. Rams (No. 25)
20. Chad Henne, Dolphins, at Jets (No. 7)

RUNNING BACKS

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings, at Packers (No. 12 vs. the run)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, at Titans (No. 9)
3. Steven Jackson, Rams, at Lions (No. 20)
4. Joseph Addai, Colts, vs. 49ers (No. 6)
5. Michael Turner, Falcons, at Saints (No. 8)
6. Matt Forte, Bears, vs. Browns (No. 31)
7. Kevin Smith, Lions, vs. Rams (No. 27)
8. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers, at Cardinals (No. 1)
9. Frank Gore, 49ers, at Colts (No. 19)
10. Thomas Jones, Jets, vs. Dolphins (No. 4)
11. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins, at Jets (No. 22)
12. Steve Slaton, Texans, at Bills (No. 32)
13. Ray Rice, Ravens, vs. Broncos (No. 3)
14. Chris Johnson, Titans, vs. Jaguars (No. 13)
15. Ryan Grant, Packers, vs. Vikings (No. 10)
16. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers, vs. Raiders (No. 30)
17. Marion Barber, Cowboys, vs. Seahawks (No. 14)
18. Marshawn Lynch, Bills, vs. Texans (No. 21)
19. Brandon Jacobs, Giants, at Eagles (No. 11)
20. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos, at Ravens (No. 7)
21. LeSean McCoy, Eagles, vs. Giants (No. 15)
22. Ricky Williams, Dolphins, at Jets (No. 22)
23. Pierre Thomas, Saints, vs. Falcons (No. 23)
24. Beanie Wells, Cardinals, vs. Panthers (No. 26)

WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, vs. Panthers (No. 1 vs. the pass)
2. Marques Colston, Saints, vs. Falcons (No. 26)
3. Brandon Marshall, Broncos, at Ravens (No. 23)
4. Vincent Jackson, Chargers, vs. Raiders (No. 12)
5. Miles Austin, Cowboys, vs. Seahawks (tied for No. 16)
6. Roddy White, Falcons, at Saints (No. 14)
7. Andre Johnson, Texans, at Bills (No. 10)
8. Donald Driver, Packers, vs. Vikings (No. 20)
9. Steve Smith, Panthers, at Cardinals (No. 29)
10. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars, at Titans (No. 32)
11. x-Reggie Wayne, Colts, vs. 49ers (No. 21)
12. DeSean Jackson, Eagles, vs. Giants (No. 2)
13. Greg Jennings, Packers, vs. Vikings (No. 20)
14. Steve Smith, Giants, at Eagles (No. 9)
15. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks, at Cowboys (No. 22)
16. x-Calvin Johnson, Lions, vs. Rams (No. 25)
17. x-Anquan Boldin, Cardinals, vs. Panthers (No. 1)
18. Derrick Mason, Ravens, vs. Broncos (No. 8)
19. Devin Hester, Bears, vs. Browns (No. 24)
20. Nate Burleson, Seahawks, at Cowboys (No. 22)
21. Torry Holt, Jaguars, at Titans (No. 32)
22. Sidney Rice, Vikings, at Packers (No. 4)
23. Austin Collie, Colts, vs. 49ers (No. 21)
24. Eddie Royal, Broncos, at Ravens (No. 23)
25. Mario Manningham, Giants, at Eagles (No. 9)
26. Terrell Owens, Bills, vs. Texans (No. 18)
27. Braylon Edwards, Jets, vs. Dolphins (No. 19)
28. Michael Crabtree, 49ers, at Colts (No. 6)
29. Hakeem Nicks, at Eagles (No. 9)
30. Lance Moore, Saints, at Falcons (No. 26)
31. Donnie Avery, Rams, at Lions (No. 30)
32. Lee Evans, Bills, vs. Texans (No. 18)
33. Steve Breaston, Cardinals, vs. Panthers (No. 1)
34. Percy Harvin, Vikings, at Packers (No. 4)
35. Jeremy Maclin, Eagles, vs. Giants (No. 2)
36. x-Jerricho Cotchery, Jets, vs. Dolphins (No. 19)
x-Make sure Wayne, Calvin Johnson, Boldin and Cotchery are active prior to kickoff.

MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL: For a breakdown of the fantasy values of running backs Shonn Greene and Jamaal Charles, click here. The link also includes our weekly audiocast.

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1 Comments:

Blogger hungeryjack said...

Nice post - Marshawn Lynch ..Keep Posting


Ron
Marshawn Lynch
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November 14, 2009 at 3:58 PM 

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